SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Syracuse University chancellor-designate Kent Syverud and his wife, Ruth Chen, will start their Syracuse careers living in Armory Square.

The couple are renting an apartment in Jefferson Clinton Commons, across from the Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science and Technology.

Kent D. Syverud, the 12th Chancellor of Syracuse University, speaks after being introduced to the campus community at Hendricks Chapel in September 2012. Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com

Syverud and his wife will be formally moving into the university-owned chancellor's residence, which is being worked on, in mid-March.

Living for a few months in the Armory Square neighborhood will serve several purposes for SU and Syverud . It will give university maintenance staff time to work on the nearly 100-year-old chancellor's residence, and it will give Syverud and Chen a chance to experience life in downtown Syracuse, the university said in a release.

Work at the chancellor's residence will be a combination of maintenance and basic repair/refurbishment work to the electrical, heating and cooling and fire alarm systems. It will include some environmental testing, window repair, lighting, repainting and replacement of worn flooring.

The home has essentially been continually occupied since 1991. Former chancellor Nancy Cantor moved out in mid-December. Syverud did not want university employees working overtime shifts during the holidays to finish the work by next week, the university said in a release.

Once Syverud and Chen move into the chancellor's residence, they plan to open it to as many members of the SU community as possible, and utilize it for events, receptions, concerts, and celebrations.